A cryostat intended to be integrated into a maglev transport system, the cryostat comprising at least one superconductive element and a jacket inside which each superconductive element is placed. The cryostat is suitable for maintaining each superconductive element at the desired temperature and the jacket extending along a longitudinal axis (X). The length of each superconductive element along the longitudinal axis (X) is comprised between 30% and 100% of the length of the jacket, and each superconductive element is a bulk element made of superconductor material.

The present invention provides a winding and twisting device of a ring spinning or ring twisting machine with at least one stator, which comprises at least one superconducting material and a stator cooling system, at least one rotor that creates a magnetic field, and a rotatable spindle, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged co-axially to the spindle; and wherein the rotor and the stator are formed in a way that a ring-shaped air gap, which is arranged co-axially to the spindle and in which the thread to be wound up can circulate, is formed between the rotor and the stator. Furthermore, a ring spinning or ring twisting method, in which fiber material is twisted and subsequently wound up, is provided, in which such a winding and twisting device is used, wherein the rotor is held co-axially at a distance to the stator by a rotor holding device, wherein the temperature of the superconducting material of the stator is reduced below the transition temperature of the superconducting material and wherein the rotor is released by the rotor holding device.

The disclosure relates to a device for improving a vacuum in the housing of a machine, in particular a centrifugal-mass energy store, comprising a rotor, for example a shaft having a centrifugal mass arranged thereon, which rotor is supported on at least one superconducting bearing in a contactless manner and is arranged in a vacuum container. In order to maintain the operating state of the superconducting bearing, the superconducting bearing is thermally connected to a cold source cooled by a cryogenic medium. According to the invention, the vacuum in the vacuum container is improved by means of an adsorber thermally connected to a cooling apparatus. The cooling of the adsorber occurs preferably by means of evaporated cooling medium from the superconducting bearing.

The present invention provides a winding and twisting device of a ring spinning or ring twisting machine with at least one stator, which comprises at least one superconducting material and a stator cooling system, at least one rotor that creates a magnetic field, and a rotatable spindle, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged co-axially to the spindle; and wherein the rotor and the stator are formed in a way that a ring-shaped air gap, which is arranged co-axially to the spindle and in which the thread to be wound up can circulate, is formed between the rotor and the stator. Furthermore, a ring spinning or ring twisting method, in which fiber material is twisted and subsequently wound up, is provided, in which such a winding and twisting device is used, wherein the rotor is held co-axially at a distance to the stator by a rotor holding device, wherein the temperature of the superconducting material of the stator is reduced below the transition temperature of the superconducting material and wherein the rotor is released by the rotor holding device.

A superconductor-magnet bearing system can include a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion. One of the first and second bearing portions can be at least partially composed of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) and another can be at least partially composed of a magnet. The first bearing portion can be disposed at least partially within an opening of the second bearing portion with a gap between the first and second portions. A magnetic bearing portion can include a plurality of rings disposed next to one another. An HTS bearing portion can include a magnet. The bearing portions can be biased toward an alignment with one another. One bearing portion can rotate relative to another bearing portion.

A superconducting motor including a rotor, a heat sink, and a bearing. The rotor includes a superconducting winding formed from a superconducting material. The heat sink is positioned within the superconducting motor to absorb heat produced by the superconducting motor. The bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element. The bearing rotatably supports the rotor and is thermally connected to each of the rotor and the heat sink to transfer heat from the rotor to the heat sink. The rolling element is formed from a material having, at 25 K, a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more and an ultimate tensile strength of 650 MPa or more. The rolling element may be formed from a copper alloy.

A superconductor-magnet bearing system can include a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion. One of the first and second bearing portions can be at least partially composed of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) and another can be at least partially composed of a magnet. The first bearing portion can be disposed at least partially within an opening of the second bearing portion with a gap between the first and second portions. A magnetic bearing portion can include a plurality of rings disposed next to one another. An HTS bearing portion can include a magnet. The bearing portions can be biased toward an alignment with one another. One bearing portion can rotate relative to another bearing portion.

A cryostat (28) intended to be integrated into a maglev transport system (10), the cryostat (28) comprising at least one superconductive element (36) and a jacket (34) inside which each superconductive element (36) is placed. The cryostat is suitable for maintaining each superconductive element (36) at the desired temperature and the jacket (34) extending along a longitudinal axis (X). The length of each superconductive element (36) along the longitudinal axis (X) is comprised between 30% and 100% of the length of the jacket (34), and each superconductive element is a bulk element made of superconductor material.

The invention relates to a scalable device for storing and releasing energy, consisting of a housing that can be evacuated, a vacuum (12), at least one flywheel mass (2) on a shaft (17), at least one passive superconducting radial bearing and an electrical machine (24) that constitutes both a motor and a generator, wherein a cold surface is arranged in the vacuum container (11) for stabilizing the vacuum (12). The invention has the advantage that an energy store is provided that operates efficiently and cost-effectively with minimized energy losses, is scalable and also has sufficient safety elements to enable it to be used in industrial environments.

Apparatuses, systems and methods are described for a flywheel system incorporating a rotor made from a high-strength material in an open-core flywheel architecture with a high-temperature superconductive (HTS) bearing technology to achieve the desired high energy density in the flywheel energy storage devices, to obtain superior results and performance, and that eliminates the material growth-matching problem and obviates radial growth and bending mode issues that otherwise occur at various high frequencies and speeds.